Pages

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 3,210 other followers

2. Dead in a Ditch

THE BOOK:Dead in a Ditch

PUBLISHED IN: 2012

THE AUTHOR:Heather Lynn Osting

THE EDITOR:Rachel Irene Graham & Deborah Grothouse.

THE PUBLISHER: Createspace

SUMMARY: Vivienne Lynn Taylor is your typical Midwestern girl. Born and raised in small town in Ohio, the only real crime girls like her ever experience is being charged a $2.00 late fee per video per day from her local video store. A real travesty in small town America.

Vivienne has seen some dark times by being touched by unfortunate circumstances in her personal life; a daughter of a broken home with a dysfunctional abusive father as her maker. Despite that, she’s surprisingly optimistic, yet realistic with a rebel spirit…a spirit that leads her down a path that will leave her changed unlike any other she’s ever known.

It all starts when she decides to immerse herself in a weekend of biker-lore fun and games, surrounded by a sea of tattoos, illicit drugs, sex, motorcycles, rock and roll, and all the things parents spend their lives trying to shield their children from.

What starts out as a wide eyed young girl’s walk on the wild side, turns into a mayhem filled ride on a highway to hell. What transpires next is a testament to the will of a girl who didn’t know what she was made of until she was forced to choose between her life or an untimely death. Some who would find themselves in her shoes, might of easily chosen death.THE BACK STORY: I, Heather Lynn Osting, am NOT a writer. I am a non-writer, who wrote a book. When I say I am not a writer, I mean to tell you I am not a “classically trained” writer. I did not attend a fancy liberal arts college where I studied theory, and the English language in great detail. I did not take philosophy, or study foreign languages. I did however possess a vintage typewriter when I was old enough to know what one was, and I would type things, just to hear the arms swing up from the darkness of the typewriter’s well, and imprint letters, words and phrases onto a virgin sheet of paper. I wrote poems first, then short stories. I pretended to write songs. I also spent a lot of time trying to teach myself to sketch and draw. Creating was always in the forefront of my mind. Beauty is what drew me in, beautiful words, phrasing, sunsets, vibrant colors….the way a glass reflects and refracts an image, the way a leaf floats effortless down from it’s limb and makes it way into a river that swiftly takes it away on a new adventure. And this my friends is why I did not go to a liberal arts college for writing! In small town USA, writing is the thing big city dreams are made of, in small town USA, you go learn a skill, a trade. So while writing was my passion, I would make being a Paralegal my profession. I rather enjoyed reading law and deciphering it’s context, applying it to case studies and scenarios. I eventually, after graduating, took a job with a small criminal defense firm and I learned so very much about crime, criminals and the motivations to which drive the crimes they committed. I spoke face to face with accused rapists, drug addicts, molesters, and deviants of all sorts, big and small. But always remembering the word “Accused” as a preface….as its’ not over until sentencing. And even then you have appeals.

I was a writer with no formal training, I was a writer from the tip of my toes to the top of my head, yet nobody really cares unless you write something. So I got some poems published, won a couple awards in poetry. This made me wonder if I really had a knack for writing. So I started a blog, which amazed me when I found that I had followers, LOYAL, smart and lively ones. My friends and family always would always say “you should write a book” and I would say to them “what on earth do I have to write about that anyone would want to read?” and it was that kind of thinking that kept me from trying to write anything outside of my blog. UNTIL…..Water for Elephants. Fast forward many years later, I would read a book that would inspire me to do what I never attempted before. Write a book of my own. Why you might ask, well it’s because after reading Water for Elephants, I went to my local library to get a new book to devour and couldn’t find one that sounded interesting to me. I was miffed. So as I walked out of the side doors of the Delphos Public Library, I said to myself…”Well, I’ll just write my own book!” and three days later, after being glued to my computer and keyboard, ‘Dead in a Ditch’ was born. I had written my first novel. Trust me, I was as surprised as anyone by this. Three days, copious amounts of coffee and a stubborn creative streak and a little novel was born unto me. And it was my baby….a baby I was protective of, a baby I was afraid to let others hold, a baby that made me curl up on the couch and cry over when I got published and got my first “not-so-nice” review on Amazon. And that m’friends is the story of how DIAD came to be.

WHY THIS TITLE?: “Dead in a Ditch” is a phrase used 100x over by my parents growing up. CONSTANTLY they were saying “Heather, we thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere” when I would come home late. Or “Do you want to end up dead in a ditch” when I’d talk to a stranger. Or one of my favorites, at 21 when I told my mother I was going to my first motorcycle rally: “you can’t go to a motorcycle party…do you want to end up dead in a ditch…never to be heard from or seen again?” So my friends, ….I leave you with this….”Dead in a Ditch” is my little novel, and It’s inspired by criminals I’ve met, mayhem I’ve come entirely too close to, and an imagination that is and has always been one of my best friends.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO READ IT: If I were a great sales person, here is where I’d dazzle you with enticing snippits of why you must absolutely read my book and why you’ll without a doubt LOVE my book, but I don’t pretend to know the reading “tastes” of every person who reads this, so I’ll just tell you why I liked writing my books and maybe this will be the reason you’ll enjoy reading them. 1) – I like books who have characters that grow from start to finish. I like characters who are flawed but still lovable. I like characters that make you laugh and have a good inner dialog, and I “as a reader” like to know what goes on inside the head of my main character. “Vivienne” my books unlikely protagonist is about as likely to be a star of a book and I am to be the writer of said book! So the long and short of it is, I really like Vivienne. I would read books with her in them, because I’ve really enjoyed writing her and helping her grow as a character, and I think that journey is an entertaining progression to read about.

REVIEW COMMENTS::

“Dead In A Ditch is a seat gripping, page turning thrill ride that I could not put down. When I read the synopsis I was convinced this was a dark, dark story about a girl who is kidnapped and forced into prostitution and was ready to question myself for reading such a book. However once I got into the story I realized that it was so much more! The story does not read like a straight line from point A to point B, it skips back and forth within a two month span of time in the beginning. Not only does the reader get to have the main characters point of view but the story is rounded out by incorporating the perspective of other key people. This adds a great deal to the plot. The main character, Vivienne Taylor, is a strong, remarkable woman. She fights for her life and against all odds comes out a survivor. This book is a great read for anyone who likes suspense, plot twists and romance. It could defiantly use polishing from an editor but despite that I HIGHLY recommend giving this new author your time, you won’t regret it! – Bookaholic Mama.

The life of Vivienne Taylor is never the same after she’s abducted at a biker meet in rural Ohio. The spirited, young woman goes on a journey that will forever scar her and lead her closer to being “dead in a ditch”.

From start to finish, the story’s main character, Viv, is one the reader can connect with as well as love. It is within this character that Osting has instilled the element of humor not only as a means to establish the reader’s personal connection but also to add comic relief to the story when the story’s topics become intense. The intricate plot keeps the reader interested as well as on the edge of his/ her seat at times, and Osting’s use of both humor and suspense attract the reader’s curiosity to the very last page.

This book is a quick read with with comedic quips and thrilling episodes and is one that I would highly recommend to anyone.

You need to read this book! It has this former English teacher’s stamp of approval!

I started this book on a day that I had to be to work at 1:00. That was a huge mistake! I didn’t want to stop reading to get ready, and all I could think about was reading it again on my lunch break. The story moves quickly and keeps you interested the whole way through. The writing was extremely descriptive, it was very easy to visualize every aspect of the story. You will be hooked until the end, and it will leave you excitedly waiting for the next book!

AUTHOR PROFILE: Well folks, what can I tell you, I’m red-headed, good-natured and small-town. I love motorcycles, writing, photography, and reading a book so good it takes you to somewhere else in space and time entirely.

I’m a romantic that appreciates the proper use of a good curse word.

I’m a Paralegal by day, and a writer when my imagination takes over and holds me hostage until I write what it wants me to write.

While my writing borders on graphic or some might even say vulgar at times, I believe in stories that make me cringe one minute, and yet might make me smile the next. I don’t think I could write a book that didn’t have a little humor mixed in with the seriousness of a tale.

I’m addicted to good quotes, especially Albert Einstein ones…I collect Old books to a fault and I asked for “office supplies” for Christmas this year. nothing makes you want to write more than a new gel pen held between your fingers and a blank page of paper before you.

My favorite color is blue. I have two dogs that make me smile regularly. I play the guitar very poorly and am intent on learning to speak Italian, even if I have to beg my friend Alexandra from Rome to only speak to me IN Italian until I am forced to learn what in the heck she’s rambling on about in one of the worlds most beautiful languages.

Lastly, I cannot thank people enough for reading any of my novels; for giving me a chance to entertain them, even if only for a short time. Not everyone will fall in love with my stories, but I still appreciate the opportunity to tell them. It’s an honor and a privilege on my end to do so.